With a Strong Religious and Political Imprint, Israel and the Government Led the Tribute for the Embassy Attack
33 Years Since the Attack
By Cecilia Degl’Innocenti – Political Scientist, International Relations graduate, Journalist
Published Monday, March 18, 2025 – Diario Perfil
Israel is going through one of the most difficult moments in its history and, from that perspective, it led the commemoration for the victims of the terrorist attack on its embassy in Argentina. Thirty-three years after the attack—which did not discriminate by faith or nationality among the 22 people killed and 242 injured—the Israeli embassy convened top government officials to reiterate not only its call for justice (amid legislative advances toward trials in absentia), but also a call for peace—two demands that shaped the hot afternoon in downtown Buenos Aires.
“Life is the most sacred value, whether or not others think like us. Belligerence is not the way. God teaches us common sense—life, love, and peaceful coexistence among all His creatures,” said Rabbi Isaac Sacca in a humanist tone. One of the first speakers at the event, the religious leader offered a prayer to overcome “adversity and tragedy,” two words that describe the first terrorist attack in Argentina’s history, in order to find “justice and hope for all peoples and the house of Israel.” He was followed by the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge García Cueva, who reinforced the call to “say never again to violence.” “With war and violence, everything is destroyed,” insisted the Catholic representative.
A Political Mark
Unlike previous years, this tribute carried a strong political component. It took place in a sensitive context marked by demands for the release of hostages, the resumption of Israeli bombings on Gaza’s population, and international scrutiny of the military offensive in the Palestinian enclave. In this setting, Israeli Ambassador Eyal Sela—accompanied throughout by Karina Milei and Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein—adopted President Javier Milei’s phrase from his first visit to Israel, stating that the world must stand “on the right side of history,” referring to terrorism as a political tool.
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“There seems to be a darkness in some people’s hearts when it comes to calling things by their name. Terrorism is barbarism—it is absolute evil,” said Sela, who had accompanied Milei on his first visit to Israel. “Let’s speak frankly: the terrorism that showed its face in 1992 does not believe in diversity, plurality, freedom of religion, democracy, or minority rights,” he added.
In his speech, the representative of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government in Argentina constructed a narrative thread from the tragedy of the Holocaust—a prelude to the creation of the State of Israel in 1948—to the present, marked by war in the Middle East, highlighting the terrorist attacks on the Israeli Embassy in 1992 and the AMIA in 1994 as turning points in Argentine history.
“The Face of Evil”
In his address, the diplomat recounted the story of Ralph Goldman, an American-born soldier who helped Jewish survivors of the Nazi extermination machinery in Germany at the end of World War II. Goldman, Sela said, personally witnessed “the face of evil” in the Nazis—a sensation that his son David may have shared decades later, when he was killed in the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires.
Today, the ambassador continued, the “face of evil” is represented by Hamas, following the October 7 massacre. “As I speak, there are 59 people (including 4 Argentine nationals) held hostage. The terrorist organization Hamas holds them in captivity, having witnessed this evil,” he said. He also reiterated, as did another speaker and survivor of the attack, the call for the release of hostages—this, as the ceasefire between the warring parties has been suspended, leading to the cutoff of electricity and humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.
“Standing on the Right Side of History”
“Standing on the right side of history does not depend on circumstances, politics, or the social climate. We are talking about deep, identity-based matters. We are talking about opposing the face of evil that Ralph knew and that David saw before taking his last breath,” Sela concluded, thanking Milei for “being on the right side.”
Foreign Minister Gerardo Werthein, who is leading the restructuring of Argentina’s Foreign Ministry according to the new diplomatic direction set by the presidential office, was the main speaker in place of Presidential Secretary Karina Milei. After singing the Argentine and Israeli national anthems, along with others in attendance, the country’s top diplomat shared his experience during the attack and ended his speech with a religious message.
“We were moved—we’re not used to this. It’s the work of these murderers, whose true nature some parts of the world still fail to grasp,” he said. “Let us all come together against this ferocious enemy of the world—terrorism. May we all support the effort to end it. May God bless everyone,” he concluded.
“The Traces of Terrorism” and the Demand for Justice
“Thirty-three years later, the traces of terrorism are still upon us,” was the phrase that opened the event at the intersection of Suipacha and Avenida del Libertador, in the heart of Buenos Aires.
The event, smaller in turnout compared to the mass gathering on October 7, began promptly at 2:50 PM amid tight security, including snipers stationed on nearby rooftops. At that moment, a siren and the bells of a nearby Christian church—which also suffered damage in the attack—interrupted a minute of silence. The scene featured images of the victims and dozens of people holding the flags of Argentina and Israel.
The tribute was attended by various national and city officials, including Health Minister Mario Lugones; Security Minister Patricia Bullrich; Defense Minister Luis Petri; Justice Minister Mariano Cúneo Libarona; and Presidential Secretary Karina Milei, among others. Also present were Buenos Aires Mayor Jorge Macri, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Xavier Isaac, members of the judiciary, national lawmakers such as Hernán Lombardi and Fernando Iglesias, and representatives from AMIA and DAIA.
Demands for Justice
Survivor Martín Goldberg was one of the keynote speakers. He called for the release of hostages and emphasized the need for answers about local complicity in the attack carried out by what he called “evil terrorism.” “Who were the local accomplices? Who helped with the logistics of this attack?” he asked.
His concern echoes the stance of the Israeli embassy, which continues to seek answers about the 1992 attack—especially after Argentina’s Congress passed legislation allowing trials in absentia. On that note, Ambassador Sela welcomed the ruling by Federal Court of Appeals Judge Carlos Mahiques, who affirmed the responsibility of Iran and Hezbollah in the attacks on the Israeli Embassy and the AMIA building.
“It’s time to turn our backs on the darkness of terrorism. Standing on the right side of history is a wake-up call to expose this evil,” Sela concluded.
Source: Perfil – Full Article
